I came to this site by searching for "bulk peat moss." I live in Austin, and my St. Augustine lawn has been diagnosed by the County Extension Agent as suffering from Take-All Root Rot. The Agent, as well as the local well-respected organic nursery, recommends dressing the lawn with peat moss as the most effective not-fungicide method of combating the fungus, via reduction of pH. Texas A&M has some corroborating research on this subject.

The fungus is spreading pretty rapidly in my lawn, and is also becoming evident elsewhere in my neighborhood.

Rush to your local feed store and get some ordinary corn meal (not corn gluten meal). Apply it at 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. In 3 weeks the disease should be gone. If you like you could spray the lawn with milk at 3 ounces per gallon as set on your Ortho hose end sprayer.

Rush to your local feed store and get some ordinary corn meal (not corn gluten meal). Apply it at 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. In 3 weeks the disease should be gone. If you like you could spray the lawn with milk at 3 ounces per gallon as set on your Ortho hose end sprayer.

and in the mean time you can look for the peat moss. Assuming you went to John Dromgoole's nursery, did they suggest where you could find a couple yards of peat moss. If they can't ask if you can use compost instead.

and in the mean time you can look for the peat moss. Assuming you went to John Dromgoole's nursery, did they suggest where you could find a couple yards of peat moss. If they can't ask if you can use compost instead.

Bulk moss apparently is unavailable in central Texas. Bales are available at all nurseries, including Dromgoole's. However, I have about 15,000 square feet of lawn, and was hoping for a bulk order...along with some bulky workers to spread it. I'd need 15 3.8 cu. ft. bales.

The popular alternative top dressing in this area is called "dillo dirt," which is dried sewage sludge mixed with composted materials such as Christmas trees and yard waste. Stinks. I can imagine the fun my two wiener dogs will have rolling in it. The lawn needs not only the TARR treatment, but organic additives; sounds like bales of peat moss and bulky boys for me. As many of you know, our soil here is quite different from the Dallas area. One of the alleged advantages of the peat moss is its mild acidity, which will provide a salubrious effect to the St. Augustine in our alkaline soil.

Dillo Dirt should not smell bad. It should smell like soil. It is the same material as Alamo-Gro from San Antonio and is made by the same company.

Compost is still an alternative to peat moss. The application rate for compost or peat moss would be 1 cubic YARD per 1,000 square feet. That means 15 cubic yards. That is more than one semi trailer. I would go back to corn meal and milk.

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